From Time Study to Standard Work
Closing the loop between observation, method documentation, and sustainable performance on the line.
Time study isn’t an end in itself. It’s the input to standard work—the documented best-known method that everyone on the line can follow.
Observe before you optimize
Watch several cycles across operators and shifts. You’re looking for:
- Sequence consistency — same steps in the same order
- Motion waste — reach, walk, search, rework
- Variation — why does cycle time swing between people?
Write standards people will use
A good standard work sheet shows:
- Work sequence — step-by-step with key points
- Takt time / cycle time — the rhythm to hit
- Standard WIP — what’s between stations
Keep it at the workstation. If it’s in a shared drive nobody opens, it isn’t standard work.
Sustain with gemba
Review standards during gemba walks. Update when the process changes—not once a year in a binder refresh. That’s applied industrial engineering: observation → documentation → verification → improvement.